Sheaffer, J. D. | Search NASA

NASA NTRS1986

Surface energy fluxes in complex terrain

The emphasis of the 1985 NASA project activity was on field measurements of wind data and heat balance data. Initiatives included a 19 station mountaintop monitoring program, testing and refining the surface flux monitoring systems and packing and shipping equipment to the People's Republic of China in preparation for the 1986 Tibet Experiment. Other work included more extensive analyses of the 1984 Gobi Desert and Rocky Mountain observations plus some preliminary analyses of the 1985 mountaintop network data. Details of our field efforts are summarized and results of our data analyses are presented.

Reiter, E. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Measurements of the surface energy budget in the southern Gobi Desert of China, and in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado

Observations of the land surface energy balance were made in the Gobi desert and at two mountain sites in northern Colorado. The Gobi study included 12 days of observations in spring (April 8 to 20, 1984) and 31 days in summer at the same site (June 17 to July 18, 1984). The Colorado study included 126 days (March 13 to July 17, 1984) at a valley site and 34 days (July 31 to September 3, 1984) at a mountain top location. The data for each study included continuous observations of upward and downward radiative fluxes in three wave bands, soil temperature and moisture at four levels, air temperature and humidity at four levels and UVW wind components at three levels. Analyses of the Gobi data include definition of the impact of variable atmospheric moisture on the surface energy balance between spring and summer. In addition, diurnal wind circulations forced by heating of the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau were observed during both periods.

Reiter, E. R.↗